Farm event canceled over foot-and-mouth concerns

ROCHESTER (AP) -- An annual farm breakfast that attracts thousands of visitors was canceled because of worries over the possible spread of foot-and-mouth disease.

The Country Breakfast on the Farm had been scheduled for June 23 at Robert and Jeannette Sheehan's dairy farm near this southeastern Minnesota city.

The Sheehans and the sponsors, the Rochester Area Ag Committee, scratched this year's breakfast to protect the farm's 60 cows and other area animals.

Last year's breakfast drew about 4,000 people. Most visitors are local, but Rochester's Mayo Clinic draws international visitors who could attend the public breakfast.

Great Britain and several other European countries have been battling an outbreak of the highly contagious disease, which is harmless to humans.